Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love it all - the lights, the fun with friends and family, the decorating, the goodies, the special Christmas services and singing of Christmas carols. Most of all, I love getting together with my big, crazy family on Christmas Eve. We play games and sing carols and my big Brother Ben reads the Christmas story from the Bible. My brother Sam always has a special message for the children. And the night wouldn't be complete without a game of Ducky Wucky. I've been playing this with the kids for almost twenty years. Just about when I think it's time to retire the game a new generation comes along and wants to play it. This is a silly game which involves players sitting in a circle. One poor schlub is blindfolded and stood in the middle of the circle, then set free to sit on someone's lap. Once seated, he/she says, "Ducky Wucky." The person holding the one who's it must then disguise his/her voice and say, "Quack, quack." If she succeeds in fooling the person who's it the poor Schulb has to try again. Like I said, it's a very silly game, but vastly entertaining listening to the many ways grown men and women can disguise their voices. Christmas day we spend with our kids and that, too, is always wonderful. This year my daughter and son-in-law offered to do the holiday dinner so we went to their house and enjoyed turkey with all the trimmings, even home-made crescent rolls. My son-in-law is a fabulous cook! Of course, many of you made Christmas a real treat, too. So many of my readers have showered me with gifts: paintings, home-crafted scarves, ceramic candy dishes, mugs, and Christmas ornaments. Wow! I feel quite spoiled. And my darling husband made sure I had goodies to open even though we didn't put up a tree this year. (First time ever. Shocking!) I was happy to still be around to enjoy the diamond earrings he bought me at the Notting Hill Street Fair in London last August. What a blessing to be around to celebrate the joys of the season - something I never want to take for granted! I do hope all of you have been enjoying the holidays as much as I have. Wishing you all a happy, healthy New Year!

Love this little ornament sent to us by Debbie, one of my wonderful street team members.